STALKER 2 has already had its third patch – let’s see how things are going

In this modern gaming era, we kind of just accept that new releases need a lot of tinkering post-launch, and STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is no different.

Having spent a decade and a half in development, the long-awaited sequel to the cult survival horror FPS series is doing pretty well so far, with a current meta score of 73. But it evidently still needs work (as most modern games do).

Within the past week, we’ve already had two patches being sent out for both the console and PC versions of STALKER 2, and now a third one has started rolling out. GSC Game World is evidently keeping a close eye on the game and player feedback, as Patch 1.0.3 comes just four days after 1.0.2.

This update seems to target issues with crashes and memory leaks, specifically fixing multiple “ACCESS_VIOLATION_ERROR” and “LowLevelFatalError” issues. Whatever all those words mean.

Fixes to missions as well

Additionally, the patch also plugs some issues with the AI, including one in which NPCs would “block the doors during the Back to the Slag Heap mission.” Speaking of missions, there have been a few fixes in that region as well, though the patch notes have blanked some of the specifics, presumably to save from potential spoilers.

There was also an issue with saves, in which some people were finding their save files were missing after a hard reset of their Xbox or PC. The new update should fix this for anyone who has experienced it.

Look, it’s not for me to say whether three patches in less than a week is a good thing or not. On the one hand, it shows that GSC is evidently on the case when it comes to reacting to issues and feedback. On the other, it does go back on the developer’s claim that, prior to release, STALKER 2 had gone gold, suggesting it was fit for release. In any case, one can’t help but suspect Patch 1.0.4 is just around the corner, for good or ill.